Green Day: Rock Band - Dookie [Expert Guitar] (20th Anniversary) - YouTube Green Day: Rock Band - Dookie [Expert Guitar] (20th Anniversary) Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Feb 1, 2014 Today I played the album "Dookie" on Green Day: Rock Band to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the album. Enjoy! (21st Century Breakdown 5th Anniversary video coming May 15th & American Idiot 10th Anniversary video coming September 20th) Game Green Day: Dookie - Music on Google Play Full Review Micah Jacobs November 5, 2013 A must have While I am a bigger fan of Kerplunk and 1039/Smoothed out slappy hours, Dookie is an awesome album that pretty much everyone can appreciate.

While the chart topping hits are on there it's really songs like "Coming Clean" and "FOD" that do it for me. Not a big fan of their new stuff however. Full Review Matthew Klueh June 10, 2013 Greenday in their prime Insomniac and the one after that were ok. But their newest 'Uno' is just garbage. This is a classic case of a band using all it's best ideas and then not having any new good ones because of a cushy life brought on by success. Popular bands should get paid minimum wage to keep the struggling artist alive. Full Review Andre S January 2, 2014 Their Best Clearly their best. Not one of those albums where you only have two nice ones, this is just great, full of awesome. "When I Come Around" has been one of my faves for years, and the two minute song "She" is awesome. I have clean versions of the songs and I love almost all of them. Green Day isn't really "punk" anymore (still awesome though) but this is definitely one of those albums. Full Review Richie Davis May 8, 2016 :( So disappointing.

Green day is amazing but this is :/. Glad I only paid 99¢. Tbh tho it does make nice for like background music, like not when u r 100% focused on the music, and r just listening while u do something Full Review flip flop April 19, 2014 I started with American idiot after I fell in love with Holiday. I moved on to 21st Century Breakdown and fell in love all over again . I moved on to Dookie and came to the realization that Green Day has always been and always will be the best band ever. This album is absolutely amazing with no slacker song in the midst. Awe Inspiring Full Review Eis4Electric February 1, 2015 Classic! This gem of an album saw Green Day in all their early 90's angst and revelling in the perils of early adulthood. An album modern punk rockers should look to as a template to build from. Can't go wrong with tracks like "Longview", "Welcome to Paradise" and "In the End". Full Review Steve Like September 4, 2014 Generational The tape yes I said tape I wore out playing long ago.

Yet its content is still in my minds ear Full Review Dorian Holt January 26, 2016 Awesome 90s Pop Punk masterpiece Basket Case, When I Come Around, Welcome To Paradise, etc. Just a fantastic album. And to think Green Day just got better from here on, especially with American Idiot Full Review Isaac Chaj March 6, 2015 It doesn't work Everytime I try to play Longview it just says could not stream the song you requested I payed for it why won't it work Full Review Rosa Anna Berdin November 10, 2014 This is the cd that started it all for me My brother brought this home when I was younger and I fell in love with it. The whole thing was just amazing. Anytime I get a new mp3 or phone this is the first album I download onto it.

This is what got me into Green Day and ive been a fan ever since :) Full Review Ascent January 8, 2015 GREEN DAY IS F#$%ING AWESOME I didn't buy this album but I have been a Green Day fan for about 4-5 years now and they are perhaps my favorite band Full Review david ryan February 7, 2016 Easily the best green day album yet When one thinks of green day, dookie is the first album that comes to mind, for a good reason. Every song on this album will forever be playing in your head, while not only catchy, they are great songs. Full Review Andy Dunn April 9, 2016 Man, this album is AWESOME!!! I'd say its my favorite album, just above Nimrod. Basket Case and She are unbeatable. I cant believe that people like justin bieber's crap more than this!!! Its an outrage!!! Full Review Perpindicular Sealeo6 April 3, 2016 Dookie!!!! Everything on here is awesome! Great rifts, lyrics, EVERYTHING! You are not a GD fan I'd u do not have this.

It's bursting with 90s punky perfection and it is their best work yet Edgar Chavez June 8, 2013 Green day just awesome Ppl who dislike this BE ASHAMED BY YOUR SUPERIORS Full Review David Towle June 10, 2013 What?! The naysayers are all psychos. This record is perfect. Everything AFTER it sucks mind you, but this one.. this is an amazing LP. Full Review Martell Tha Cool January 25, 2016 This is a rad album here. I'm glad to have bought this for $.32 This is worth the money to enjoyed a classic album as such as this. I definitely heard of green day back around between 2000 to 2002. I didn't know that they went this back in time and this worth buying. Full Review Roland Richards June 10, 2013 Simply the BEST!! Truly one of the BEST albums/cd of all times! You can start with track 1 and let it play throughout. Yoy can't do that with half the garbage (they call music) that's out there today! Buy it you won't regret it!

Full Review Max Voorhes April 22, 2015 Green day at their best This is by far their best album, either this or american idiot, but I would say this due to the fact that out of all their mainstream albums, this is the closest they have gotten to punk, just pure punk. Full Review Jennifer Skelland November 27, 2013 Awesome It's green day think about that if you LOVE them(like me) get it. If you HATE them don't and don't comment. Edwin Fesm May 31, 2014 Scattered colateral debt for society Maternal/fraternal rampage to listen too Full Review joe newitt August 22, 2015 Green day are the best! I thought this album digital but I have had the CD since it came out! Green day are my favourite band and always will be. Full Review Angela Blake April 29, 2014 Basket Case I remember getting off the school bus and turning the TV station to MTV for TRL and the music count down of the day. I LOVED Basket Case music video. Brings back good memories when MTV actually played music videos.

Michel Angelo June 10, 2013 Awesome band But heard by idiots that don't know music so they rated 1 Full Review Tim Gordanier April 26, 2014 I hate Green Day. I don't hate personally. Not a fan of their music. So Google Play stop recommending they. No Green Day for me! Full Review Kyle Broflofski September 6, 2014 Amazing anyone actually likes this band The most overrated band in the history of mainstream music. Not even debatable, it's a fact. Full Review Rich OBrien June 5, 2013 The only good album This is the album that made them... First mainstream success. Plus this was during the platinum selling album sales era... Applause to Green Day for Dookie! Full Review Heather Morgan March 15, 2014 Classic songs There are some classic songs on this album that will always be appreciated by Green Day fans until the end of time. Full Review Androdian Androïd June 4, 2013 GREEN DAY IS MY FAV GROUP Always been a big fan since Greenday's early years.

Every cd is just as goos as the one before! Keep Rock'n Greenday! And Armstrong, we LOVE-YA, man! Full Review Adam Mcnamara July 24, 2015 Not a single bad song This is classic green day, classic punk rock, nothing gets better than this album Rick R April 15, 2015 Dookie=crap I know they are an American band,but they sound like some crappy bunch of limeys. Full Review June 4, 2013 Awesome First CD when I was 10, and it's still one of my favorite albums. All the songs are good, not just one or two. Full Review ΚΛΤΙΣ SΤΣVΣΝ January 26, 2014 Amazing i love green day like A LOT this is one of my favourite albums by Green Day it is a must buy :D i would give it way more than 5 stars but seeing as i can only give it 5 stars Full Review Jimmy Pop February 17, 2013 Green Day Green day's third album rookie is a must own. All tracks our pure punk/alternative rock.

Incredible 5/5 stars Full Review XBOX 117 May 31, 2015 A Classic Do You Have The Time To Listen To Me Once,This Is Classic Punk Rock And It Always Stay Like That 👍 Full Review Denzel Turnage June 6, 2013 Best Green Day album I could never get tired of this Green Day album it's a classic and the best it get a 100 out of 100 every song is perfect Full Review Craig McDole September 4, 2014 It didn't get much better than the sound of Billy Joe and the boys on "Dookie" an amazing album, by a misunderstood group Simon Mitchell December 18, 2014 Pure class When this came out I liste ed to it everyday for at least 10 hours Full Review Richard Burney December 1, 2012 Amazing In the this album there r sum of Green Days best ever songs.

I would recomend it to Any rock lover Green Day | New Music And Songs | Green Day About Green Day Out of all the post-Nirvana alternative bands to break into the pop mainstream, Green Day were second only to Pearl Jam in terms of influence. At their core, Green Day were simply punk revivalists who recharged the energy of speedy, catchy three-chord punk-pop songs. Though their music wasn't particularly innovative, they brought the sound of late-'70s punk to a new, younger generation with Dookie, their 1994 major-label debut. Dookie sold over ten million copies, paving the way for a string of multi-platinum releases that opened the doors for a flood of American neo-punk, punk metal, and third wave ska revivalists. More than a decade later, as many of their former contemporaries settled into retirement, Green Day remained at the forefront of popular music with albums like the Grammy-winning American Idiot. Green Day arose from the Northern California underground punk scene. Childhood friends Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, vocals) and Mike Dirnt (bass; born Mike Pritchard) formed their first band, Sweet Children, in Rodeo, California when they were 14 years old.

By 1989, the group had added drummer Al Sobrante and changed its name to Green Day. That same year, the band independently released its first EP, 1000 Hours, which was well received in the California hardcore punk scene. Soon, the group had signed a contract with local independent label Lookout. Green Day's first full album, 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hour, was released later that year. Shortly after its release, the band replaced Sobrante with Tre Cool (born Frank Edwin Wright III), who became the band's permanent drummer. Throughout the early '90s, Green Day continued to cultivate a cult following, which only gained strength with the release of their second album, 1992's Kerplunk. The underground success of Kerplunk led to a wave of interest from major record labels, and the band eventually decided to sign with Reprise. Dookie, Green Day's major-label debut, was released in the spring of 1994. Thanks to MTV support for the initial single, "Longview," Dookie became a major hit.

The album continued to gain momentum throughout the summer, with the second single, "Basket Case," spending five weeks on top of the American modern rock charts. At the end of the summer, the band stole the show at Woodstock '94, which helped the sales of Dookie increase. By the time the fourth single, "When I Come Around," began its seven-week stay at number one on the modern rock charts in early 1995, Dookie had sold over five million copies in the U.S. alone; it would eventually top ten million in America, selling over 15 million copies internationally. Dookie also won the 1994 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance. Green Day quickly followed Dookie with Insomniac in the fall of 1995; during the summer, they hit number one again on the modern rock charts with "J.A.R.," their contribution to the Angus soundtrack. Insomniac performed well initially, entering the U.S. charts at number two and selling over two-million copies by the spring of 1996, yet none of its singles -- including the radio favorite "Brain Stew/Jaded" -- was as popular as those from Dookie.

In the spring of 1996, Green Day abruptly canceled a European tour, claiming exhaustion. Following the cancellation, the band spent the rest of the year resting and writing new material before issuing Nimrod in late 1997. Three years later, their long-awaited follow-up, a refreshingly poppy record titled Warning, was released. Another long wait preceded 2004's American Idiot, an aggressive rock opera that became a surprise success -- a chart-topper around the world, a multi-platinum Grammy winner, and easily the best-reviewed album of their career. Green Day reveled in the album's success, hitting numerous award shows and performing as part of Live 8 in July 2005. That fall brought the release of Bullet in a Bible, a concert album that documented the trio's expansive Idiot live show. With their popularity and commercial viability restored, Green Day took on several small projects before returning to the studio. They contributed a cover of John Lennon's "Working Class Hero" to the charity album Instant Karma, appeared in The Simpsons Movie, and recorded an entire album of '60s-styled rock & roll under the alias of Foxboro Hot Tubs.

While presenting an award at the Grammys in early 2009, the band announced the impending release of Green Day's eighth album, 21st Century Breakdown, which had been recorded with veteran producer Butch Vig. In May of 2009, 21st Century Breakdown was released, picking up where American Idiot left off, as another ambitious punk rock opera. The album was a commercial success, selling over 215,000 copies in its first three days of sales. In 2009, American Idiot was adapted for the stage, and the following year, Green Day lent their talents to the original cast recording, combining a driving score with Broadway vocal arrangements. The band released the live Awesome as F**k in 2011. During the summer of 2012, Green Day unveiled their ambitious plans for the fall and winter: they would release not one but three new albums. The records -- ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, ¡Tré! -- would appear in September 2012, November 2012, and January 2013, respectively, with each individual bandmember gracing one of the album covers on his own.

The first, appropriately called ¡Uno!, was preceded by the disco-rock single "Kill the DJ" and the anthemic arena rocker "Oh Love." ¡Uno! was set for a splashy release in September 2012, but the weekend prior to its release Billie Joe Armstrong had an on-stage breakdown during a set Green Day played at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas. Days later, it was announced that Armstrong entered rehab for undisclosed substance abuse; not long afterward the band's touring plans for 2013 were canceled. ¡Dos! arrived as scheduled in November 2012 and ¡Tré! was moved up to a December release. Demolicious, a collection of 18 demos recorded during the making of their ¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré! trilogy, showed up in time for 2014's Record Store Day release schedule. In 2015, Green Day were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Following their induction, producer Rob Cavallo announced that he had started work on a new album with the trio.

As they labored on the new record, Green Day released a single called "Xmas Time of the Year" for the 2015 holiday. The raucous "Bang Bang" was the first taste of the new record, Revolution Radio, which arrived in October 2016. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi Green Day: 21st Century Breakdown - Music on Google Play Full Review Jonathon Ruffolo June 9, 2015 The best follow up to the greatest compilation of music in history; American Idiot Green Day's second outing in the Rock-Opera genre is yet again a fantastic approach to the sound they already mastered with 2004's unforgettable 'American Idiot.' Full Review DJ LEGION March 19, 2016 Another brilliant album. While they will probably never write another album as mind blowing as American Idiot, this album comes pretty close. Very great writing, concepts and production. These guys don't really get the respect they deserve. Sadly, since they decided to grow as musicians and play more than three cords and write songs with intelligent concepts and lyrics, even most of their early fans have accused them of selling out.

Full Review Ryan Lehmuth January 25, 2015 By far their best album This is where it at if you want some good modern punk. In my opinion, its better than American Idiot. Would suggest to any Offspring and Bad Religion fans Full Review Kayle Mowry February 26, 2016 I like it.. Just not Last Night On Earth... It makes me cry.. Makes me think of my ex boyfriend who I still love. Full Review Seraiah West March 7, 2015 RESTLESS HEART SYNDROME/21 GUNS Green Day stop writing AMAZING songs that make me want to cry my eyes out please. LOL you guys are amazing please continue to keep punk rock and real music alive :) Full Review Steve Huskey April 7, 2014 Great concept album One would think the follow up album to American Idiot would be somewhat of a let down. Not so. This album rocks almost as much as AI and tells a story worth hearing...... Full Review Cactus Jack April 13, 2015 It's a breakdown alright Don't get me wrong but I love Green Day.

But this album is awful when compared to their previous albums. Too slow moving, too emotional and just flat out boring songs except for East Jesus Nowhere being the only good song in this album. I understand that the band is "maturing" but at least keep the energetic and melodic tones that Green Day is well known for. Full Review Adel Alqadi September 6, 2014 Green Day has outdone themselves Ignore those that think American Idiot was their best album. This album has a wide variety of genres, all of which are very enjoyable to hear. Full Review Christopher Shaw December 11, 2012 My favorite Green Day album I love this albulm, love the unique mix of styles across this album. They still have that feel off of American Idiot.

Full Review Deontae Douglas May 17, 2016 21st Century Breakdown I love punk and rock, i like green day, they still got that american idiot sound in them, american idiot will always be they best album, i hope green day make more music, they my favorite rock band 🎸 Full Review Happy Person March 31, 2016 Love it Green Day is my fav and I love this album...not as good as American Idiot but a GREAT album. If u haven't listened to it do it now!!! Full Review Chris Romano October 14, 2015 I love it I love green day it is my favorate artist i live there punk rock style and 21st century breakdown is no exeption Full Review Andrew Bartle January 4, 2016 Love them As a teen diagnosed with depression they are one of only 2 bands that when i hear them it cheers me up Olu Adetuyi October 31, 2014 21st Century Breakdown This album is Simply magnificent; absolutely magical.. G*G*G* !

Full Review The_Skate_Shack Riley December 26, 2015 Soo good! By far one of their best albums. Alot of variety of songs and flat out good music Full Review Brandon Urine April 17, 2015 This album is so good like all their other albums...I think they have just made the best music ever...really no words to describe them. Full Review That Queer Philosopher June 22, 2015 Undoubtedly their best album. Green Day did a great job. If 21 Guns was not the first Green Day song I ever listened to, who knows if my nickname on Google Plus would be "Green Day Girl". Full Review Reese Anderson March 10, 2016 Best Album Everrrrrrrr This album is the one that got me started. 21 guns is the best song ever. This is the album to my '09 and my '10 Full Review Kaitlyn Donnelly January 10, 2014 Very good I love Greenday. They always have meaning in their music. The best song on this album is 21 guns.

Full Review Daniel Tisi February 26, 2016 More Gold from Green Day Awesome album. Saw them live on this tour in San Fran! Absolutely amazing show! Full Review Jordan Huntley May 22, 2013 My #1 Artist... I just can't get enough of Green Day! From the First song to the Last song. I will listen to them forever! Full Review Evan Archer June 22, 2014 I love this album When this album came out my grandpa came home with and this was the only album playing for quite some time Full Review Bethanny Barkley March 19, 2014 It's Green Day. Of course this album is destined for greatness. Billie Joe had his hands all on this. Viral IV August 2, 2013 Do you know your enemy I love this song Victorious! At The Disco November 14, 2015 21 guns know ur enemy Love those songs Aaron Chu-Carroll March 1, 2015 Ugh Bunch of american idiots, I used to like green day...

This album sucks Max Heaton May 17, 2014 Green day 21st century breakdown This is awesome Full Review aaron homden October 4, 2015 So good If anyone dont like they should go listen to justin bieber this is possibly my favourite album ever! Killjoy Way December 21, 2015 Fangirl Omg this album gives me the feels, Full Review A Google User November 4, 2012 Poor I love GD but I like to pretend this album never happened. There is a lack, unlike their other LPs. Avoid. (Cant believe I just said that on a Green Day CD.) A Google User November 13, 2012 Mark hudson The best lp gd have recored Full Review Tommi Davis March 8, 2016 I LOVE GREEN DAY!!! I LOVE GREEN SAY SO MUTCH AND I HAVE ALL THEIR ALBUMS!! the only one i needed was 21 guns!!

Luke Mcghee August 30, 2015 21 guns Best song listen to it when playing fallout 3 Mitchyl Ainslie July 5, 2013 Not bad :) I only bought 4 songs, but I love them! JAMES PATTON April 17, 2015 Do you know your enemy Zach Bell December 28, 2014 Best song restless heart syndrome Full Review Harry W March 15, 2015 Nostalgia Trip I remember getting this album more-or-less on its release. And now I can take it anywhere. Full Review tommy connor January 11, 2015 Omg greenday Too good for me.. Probably for you two sorry night morning see ya good day siar Angela Blake April 29, 2014 2nd Favorite Album from Green Day 21 Guns song was my ringtone for so long. Love it!!!

Green Day: 21st Century Breakdown | PopMatters 21st Century Breakdown The fiery follow-up to American Idiot is both a conceptual mess and a breathtaking display of ambition, the band now trying to do everything at once at the expense of a unifying theme. iTunes For the first time in his career, Billie Joe Armstrong has written himself into a corner. Such a notion might seem odd at first, though, especially considering that Green Day were one of those rare bands who made it a point to change their sound from album to album. Following 1994’s Dookie, these unlikely frontrunners of the American punk-pop movement gradually began trying new and different things, leading to albums with darker lyrical themes (1995’s Insomniac) and more personal introspection (1997’s Nimrod). Yet with 2000’s criminally neglected Warning, the band began truly branching out, integrating more classic rock and British pop into their sound (case in point: the riff from that album’s title track wasn’t just inspired by the Kinks’ “Picture Book” —it was outright stolen from them ).

Best of all was a story-song called “Misery”, which used folk instrumentation to tell a story of criminal dealings gone wrong, replete with recurring characters and grisly lyrical deaths. Much like how the Who’s “Rael” suite from 1967’s The Who Sell Out eventually gave way to Tommy, we could here see Green Day dipping their toes in the dangerous, choppy concept-rock waters that have swallowed so many bands before, and—most critically—it seemed like the band was enjoying the wade. So when 2004’s American Idiot entered the public consciousness, everyone did an abrupt double-take: here was a band—whose previous commercial high points were dorm-room acoustic ballads and rocking odes to masturbation—that had not only crafted a fully-blown rock opera, but also managed to make it visceral, engaging, and flat-out exciting listening experience, layered with thoughtful political overtones that weren’t overly explicit. Just when it seemed like Green Day were going to be written off as a great ‘90s rock act and little else, they had suddenly crafted what is arguably the best disc of their career, and one of the defining works of the decade thus far.

Like the best concept albums, American Idiot worked because the songs worked both as standalone singles and as a part of a unified whole. Then again, any band capable of writing songs as affecting and instantly identifiable as “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” deserves every accolade they have coming to them, and as the multi-platinum certificates, U2 collaborations, and multiple Grammys proved, Green Day—long thought dead—had successfully launched Act II of their career: they were now a “serious” band. Yet even with all these milestones, Billie Joe Armstrong now faces the greatest challenge of his life: writing a follow-up to his unquestioned masterpiece. At first, it seemed like that the last thing that Green Day wanted to do was even acknowledge that there’d be an album following American Idiot, forming the retro-rocking side project Foxboro Hot Tubs as a fun distraction from their more “serious” work (much as how Green Day formed another “joke band” prior to American Idiot: the schizophrenic New Wave punk-rock outfit The Network ).

Yet while Pete Townshend followed Tommy with the best standalone album of the Who’s career (1971’s Who’s Next ), Armstrong feels that the only way to follow his massively successful rock opera is ... with another rock opera. From a conceptual standpoint, 21st Century Breakdown doesn’t differ from American Idiot‘s template at all: much like Idiot‘s heroes St. Jimmy and Whatsername, we are again following another boy/girl couple through the charred political landscape of post-millennial America: the confused, hedonistic Christian and the affected, lonely Gloria. Again, the lead characters get songs named after them (“Christian’s Inferno”, two incarnations of “Viva La Gloria”), and, again, the lead-off single is arguably the most innocuous tune on the album, seemingly detached from the supposed storyline that Billie Joe is building for us (“Know Your Enemy” feels like a last-minute track written for radio play, aping the peppier, angrier “American Idiot” a little too closely for comfort, a red herring of a single that doesn’t do justice for what follows).

When we open up 21st Century Breakdown and truly begin to dissect it, however, Breakdown simply doesn’t have the clear conceptual heft that Idiot did, and, as such, the album’s emotional impact feels just slightly out of reach. Part of the problem? Oddly, the instrumentation. While Idiot was essentially an album made out of the classic bass/drum/guitar combo (save for a string section on “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and the feedback loops that grounded “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”), Breakdown runs through a gamut of noisemakers, with synths and E-bow’s running wild while Armstrong’s simplistic piano chords take center stage, almost overshadowing his own axe-work this time out (the title track itself is a quarter-note away from turning into the opening for “Baba O’Reilly”). Though this certainly makes for the most musically varied disc the band has done since Warning, it’s hard not to feel that Green Day is using these sounds more as a crutch than a way of amplifying the lyrical content. Simply put, this is the most hook-free Green Day album since, well, ever.

Your first straight-through listen reveals lots of ideas, exciting arrangements, and numerous time changes (used most effectively in “Before the Lobotomy”), but there is no easy entry point into this disc, no gut-punch six-string stunner like “St. Jimmy” or overwrought ballad like “Wake Me Up When September Ends” to serve as a proper introduction to Breakdown‘s big ideas—of which there are many. Breakdown isn’t just Green Day’s “serious” disc; it’s also their “statement” album, their ramshackle sense of fun now replaced with scathing lyrical attacks on the Regan generation, religion, and just about any other authority figure that comes to mind. “Born into Nixon, I was raised in hell” Armstrong begins on the title track, “a Welfare child where the Teamsters dwelled”.

Though their fans who were raised on Dookie may very well respond to the sentiment that “We are the desperate in the decline / Raised by the bastards of 1969”, some of Armstrong’s critiques feel somewhat disjointed, as in that same song he also warns that “Homeland Security could kill us all”, and in later songs rails against the drug industry (“Restless Heart Syndrome”) and the class war that currently dominates this country (“American Eulogy”). Armstrong runs through a long list of hot-button topics, and no matter what you ultimately think of Breakdown, you can’t fault it for lacking in ambition. Yet in tackling so many issues, Armstrong loses sight of conceptual unity, and—as such—there is no central thesis statement to tie everything together. At its worst, Breakdown feels like a mishmash of political mantras, just as how the ending of “Restless Heart Syndrome” finds Armstrong getting his philosophy from several bumper stickers and reading them off as if they bear weight despite being riddled with cliché (“So what ails you is what impales you / You are your own worst enemy / You’re a victim of the system” and so on).

The Christian/Gloria storyline proves frightfully hard to follow, feeling almost abandoned by the time we get to “American Eulogy” (unless you really want to dig into it and claim it’s the same eulogy Christian is singing prior to his operation in “Before the Lobotomy”), and then, the group’s master statement is revealed: “I don’t want to live in the modern world” (repeated ad nauseum). What? Part of the reason that Idiot worked as well as it did was partially due to its timing: it came out a month and a half before George W. Bush was re-elected into office. There were scores of disaffected, politically-informed youth that felt anger over the course that the GOP-helmed America was taking, and Armstrong managed to articulate that anger very precisely, Bush’s second term inadvertently giving Idiot more potency than even Armstrong could have anticipated. While punk purists always mocked Green Day’s Dookie-era antics for moving away from the anti-establishment preachings of their punk forefathers and moving closer to sophomoric humor, Idiot was punk through and through: it was protest-rock in an age that had forgotten what protest-rock sounded like.

In an Obama-lead America, however, Armstrong’s scathing lyrical indictments feel, well, somewhat dated. There’s still much to be upset about these days—the economy, the still-ongoing wars (remember the “Wake Me Up When September Ends” video ?), the torture talks, and big government spending (just to name a few)—but dousing our problems in gasoline (a frequent lyrical theme this time out) and throwing a match over our shoulder just doesn’t feel as grand a gesture as it did in 2004. Armstrong wants to talk about everything at once, but in doing so, he spreads himself thin. And it’s a damn shame, too. Despite the lack of hummable rallying cries and focused ideology, 21st Century Breakdown contains some positively breathtaking moments. We’ve never heard Armstrong sound as angry as he does on the opening to “Horseshoes and Handgrenades” [sp], we’ve never heard the band introduce a bassline as sinister as the one they use on “Christian’s Inferno”, and God help us all if the lovely, understated “Last Night on Earth” doesn’t become the new standard-bearer for high school slow dances the world over.

The album is still rife with fantastic standalone songs (the Fountains of Wayne-styled “Last of the American Girls” battles the simplistic, heartfelt “21 Guns” for the album’s Best Track prize), unabashed hero worship (it’s not a stretch at all to imagine Roger Daltry singing “Before the Lobotomy”), and clever winks to their own past (“Peacemaker” might as well be “Misery, Pt. II”). Needless to say, there’s still a lot of excitement to be found in the Breakdown. Yet when you begin taking Armstrong’s lyrics at face value and stop trying to tie them into Breakdown‘s supposed three-act format, we get some of the best (and most venomous) lines of Armstrong’s career.

On the scathing “East Jesus Nowhere”, Armstrong calls out those running on blind faith and tactical imperialism: Put your faith in a miracle And it’s non-denominational Join the choir, we will be singing In the Church of Wishful Thinking [...] I want to know who’s allowed to breed All the dogs who never learned to read Missionary politicians And the cops of a new religion Even if the Christian/Gloria characters feel somewhat left by the wayside by the album’s conclusion, Armstrong still manages to flesh out their post-9/11 sense of desperation, the lovely Gloria a runaway and a junkie, Armstrong’s descriptions of her (from the second “Viva La Gloria” song) as potent as anything he’s ever written: Runaway You’re walking with blisters And running with shears So unholy, Sister of Grace In an interview with Q Magazine that ran prior to Breakdown‘s release, Armstrong notes that after Nimrod, he wanted to write songs of substance, and with Warning‘s lead-off single “Minority”, he started to say things he finally wanted to say.

Years later, upon hearing a Lynryd Skynyrd song on the radio that declared pride in being a redneck, Armstrong got so pissed off at the sentiment that he wrote “American Idiot” as a direct response, and, since then, he’s taken very careful consideration in crafting his lyrics. Such quality care is evident throughout most of Breakdown, and, as such, individual moments positively glisten, even if the widescreen view of Breakdown feels a bit muddled and confused, the whole actually being less than the sum of its parts. Though Armstrong’s declaration of not wanting to live in the modern age is undoubtedly a central theme of the album (he repeats it enough times), perhaps the most telling statement about 21st Century Breakdown‘s intentions rests simply in its last line: “I need to know what’s worth the fight”. After listening to the admirable, powerful, frustrating, confusing, and fiery Breakdown straight through, it’s hard not to wish that he actually followed that sentiment and picked something worth fighting for, instead of tackling everything at once.

21st Century Breakdown Album stream Widget Evan Sawdey started contributing to PopMatters in late 2005, and has also had his work featured in publications such as SLUG Magazine, The Metro (U.K.), Soundvenue Magazine (Denmark), the Daily Dot, and many more. Evan has been a guest on HuffPost Live, RevotTV's "Revolt Live!", and WNYC's Soundcheck (an NPR affiliate), was the Executive Producer for the Good With Words: A Tribute to Benjamin Durdle album ( available for free ), and wrote the liner notes for the 2011 re-release of Andre Cymone's hit 1985 album A.C. (Big Break Records), the 2012 re-release of 'Til Tuesday's 1985 debut Voices Carry (Hot Shot Records), and many others. He is the co-founder and host of The Chartographers , a podcast for pop music nerds, and has hosted PopTalk for PopMatters. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. You can follow him @SawdEye should you be so inclined.

Share via 'Green Day: Rock Band' DLC Only Includes Available Tracks For Now - MTV mtv Brian Warmoth 04/13/2010 The full track list for "Green Day: Rock Band" became official yesterday, and the group's Dookie, American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown albums got the most attention. Part of the announcement included DLC tracks that "Rock Band 2" players may recognize, however, leading some astute readers to wonder if original DLC tracks are in the works as well. At the moment, it sounds like the answer is no. "In ['Green Day: Rock Band'] we're taking a different approach to performances: We're building these crafted, linear sequences," project lead Chris Foster told Plastic Axe . "One of the reasons we could do open-ended DLC for ['The Beatles: Rock Band'] is that it's all tiny clips, and we could just reconfigure them for different songs as needed — and dreamscape backgrounds similarly had that." Green Day's "Rock Band" became a different type of project as the game progressed and demanded a new approach.

"With this, we're really creating sculpted experiences for every single song; there's an animation that plays all the way through, pretty much," he explained. "That's something that's not really practical to do open-ended. So we decided we were going to make DLC just about finishing 21st Century Breakdown, using the DLC that was already out." That means new DLC probably won't show up soon, if at all, so enjoy what you get with the initial offering. Those of us with candles burning for "Christie Road" will keep them lit though. How do you feel about the DLC tracks that will be available for "Green Day: Rock Band"? Would you like to see more? Share your own request list in the comment section below. Green Day Official Website Birth Date Sign me up to discover more artists like Green Day! By submitting my information above, I acknowledge that I have reviewed and agreed to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and I agree to receive updates and marketing messages from time to time from Green Day and their record label. Be one of the first to know about our tour dates, video premieres, and special announcements. Unable to process your request at this time. Please try again later. Please fill out the correct information.

By submitting my information above, I acknowledge that I have reviewed and agreed to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and I agree to receive updates and marketing messages from time to time from Green Day and their record label. Thank you! Green Day – Songs & Albums : Napster and 34 other albums About Green Day Influenced by bands like the Clash , Operation Ivy and the Sex Pistols , Bay Area-slackers-turned-rock-stars Green Day set the market for pop-punk in the mid-'90s, and rode that success to critical and popular super stardom in the new millennium. Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool (who replaced original drummer Al Sobrante in 1990) came together in Berkeley, Calif., where they quickly became local favorites, frequently playing underground punk haven 924 Gilman St. Their first release, 39/Smooth, arrived in 1990, followed by the compilation 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours and 1992's Kerplunk.

The latter's success prompted Reprise to sign the group, and Green Day's major label debut, Dookie, dropped in 1994, yielding smash singles "Basket Case" and "Longview" (it was certified diamond in 1999). The band followed it with 1995's Insomniac, 1997's Nimrod and 2000's Warning. All were mildly successful compared to Dookie, though singles like "Brain Stew," "Minority" and "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" kept them comfortably in the spotlight. The release of 2004 concept album, American Idiot, however, saw the boys expand upon their sound and songwriting, earning them a Grammy for Best Rock Album, not to mention a whole new generation of fans. Green Day continued their evolution with 2009's 21st Century Breakdown, a three-act rock-opera opus that would provide even more justification to their superstar status. Stephanie Benson Similar Artists

Question: 'Dookie' and '21st. Century Breakdown' are albums by which American rock band?
Answer: 'GREEN DAY'